Barbecue lighter with safety function

ABSTRACT

A barbecue lighter with safety function is provided according to the present invention, including: a casing having a fuel cavity and an operation cavity; a fuel container; an elongated rod tube; an operation member; a piezoelectric unit; a vent valve mechanism; a gas lever, which cooperates with the vent valve mechanism to open or close the gas path; a pin fixed to the inner wall of the casing; a safety device including a groove with corner positioned between the bottom end of operation member and the gas lever; and a control assembly fixed to the inner wall of the casing longitudinally. The fixed pin is enclosed in the groove with corner to slide relatively therein along the groove. The bottom end of the safety device engages with the gas lever. The control assembly is positioned at one side of the safety device to control the movement of the safety device.

This application claims priority from the Chinese utility model application No. 2004201097557 filed on Nov. 6, 2004 and entitled “Safe Barbecue Lighter,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a barbecue lighter with safe function, in particular, to a safety control device for lighting in a barbecue lighter.

BACKGROUND

The safety device in the conventional barbecue lighters or lighting guns or rods typically use an obstructing block or stopper positioned in the moving route of an operation or control member for triggering the lighter. A safety switch is arranged on the surface of the lighter, corresponding to the obstructing block. The obstructing block positioned in the moving route of the operation member can be switched by moving the safety switch, so to control the movement of the operation member. When the safety switch is switched to a state “On” (unlock), the operation member can be operated to cause a piezoelectric unit generating a discharge spark to light the fuel gas. When the safety switch is switched to a state “Off” (lock), the operation member is obstructed to a down push, then, gas lighting operation is prevented. However, this kind of lighter may be safe only when the safety switch is in the state “Off.” The safety device will not function correctly if it is forgotten to set to the “Off” state or relock the lighter after a lighting operation, so that a fire can be easily caused by a child or a disabled person when playing with such a lighter.

In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,212 filed on Nov. 5, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,017 filed on Aug. 26, 1999 and entitled “Safety Device in Lighting Rods” disclosed a safety device in a lighting rod, wherein a locking member has an action shaft comprising an engagement section which is molded integrally with a lock releasing member. When in its ordinary state, the engagement section is positioned in the transverse portion of a T-shaped engagement opening of an operation member, and the lock releasing section of the operation member is projected to the exterior of the casing. When in this ordinary state, even if a pushing force is applied to the operation member, the operation member may not be pushed down due to the engagement between the engagement section of the locking member and the T-shaped engagement opening of the operation member, and thus the lighting operation cannot be carried out. When the engagement section is pushed into an inner cavity of the operation member from the T-shaped engagement opening, it becomes possible for the shaft to slide in the inner cavity along the longitudinal portion of the T-shaped engagement opening of an operation member. In this manner, the locking member is set to the state of the lock release, and it becomes possible to push the operation member down in order to light the fuel gas. An urging member (spring) of the safety device is positioned separately from the locking member without guide pin or bar. However, this type of safety device may cause an undesired transverse movement of the locking member in the inner cavity and may occupy larger space. In addition, since the engagement section of the locking member moves orthogonally to the movement of the operation member, the fit tolerance of the engagement section and the T-shaped opening of the operation member is two dimensional, thus, its molding process is relatively rigorous, and any undesired transversal movement may cause it to be difficult for the engagement section to return to its locking position automatically after repeated lighting operations, and even lose its function of safety.

SUMMARY

To overcome the above stated problems in the conventional safety devices in lighting rods or barbecue lighters, the present invention provides a safe barbecue lighter comprising a safety and control assembly including a fixed pin, a safety device and a control assembly, which can be easily molded and can safely return to its original position automatically after repeated operation for lighting, so that the gas vent valve mechanism and piezoelectric unit are controlled safely for the lighting operation.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a barbecue lighter with a safety function, comprises: a casing holding at least a fuel container, a piezoelectric unit, a gas lever for opening or closing a vent valve mechanism and an operation member for actuating the piezoelectric unit and the gas lever; a safety member positioned between the operation member and the gas lever, and including a L-shaped groove; a pin fixed on the casing and positioned in said groove so that the safety member can change its locking or unlocking status as the L-shape groove moves relatively to the fixed pin; a control assembly positioned at one side of the safety member for switching the status of the safety device; wherein the safety member will make the gas lever releasing gas under control of the control assembly and the operation member.

In accordance with the present invention, the safety member further comprises a body comprising a projecting portion at its lower part. The gas lever includes a groove on its one end portion for slidably holding a tip of the projecting portion of the safety member, and has another end portion cooperating with the vent valve mechanism. The control assembly comprising a pushing block, a pushing bar and a lock button. The safety member further comprises a slidable block at one side of the body, and wherein the pushing block comprises a vertical cavity with one side open for the slidable block sliding therein, and a first resilient element is disposed in the vertical cavity pressed against the lower portion of the slidable block of the safety member and the inner bottom of the pushing block. A second resilient element is around the pushing bar against the lock button. The safety member further comprises a stud positioned at the bottom of the slidable block for positioning and guiding the first resilient element. The gas vent mechanism comprises a flame regulator for regulating flame. The safety member is in locking status when the fixed pin is in a transverse portion of the L-shaped groove.

Further according the present invention, a barbecue lighter with safety function comprises: a casing having a fuel cavity and an operation cavity; a fuel container enclosed in the fuel cavity of the casing; an operation member disposed in the operation cavity of the casing; a piezoelectric unit disposed in the operation cavity of the casing for generating a discharge voltage; a vent valve mechanism disposed in the operation cavity of the casing; a gas lever disposed in the operation cavity of the casing, which cooperates with the vent valve mechanism to open or close the gas path; a pin fixed to the inner wall in the operation cavity; a safety device including a groove with corner positioned between the bottom of the operation member and the gas lever, the fixed pin enclosed in the groove with corner to slide relatively therein along the groove and a control assembly in the operation cavity for controlling the movement of the safety device between the locking status and the unlocking status.

Further, the safety device further comprises a body comprising a projecting portion with a projecting tip at its lower part; and a slidable block at one side of the body, and wherein the top end of the safety device is positioned against the bottom portion of the operation member.

A transverse groove is formed on one portion of the gas lever, for holding the projecting tip slidably, and the width of the projecting tip is narrower than the length of the transverse groove, and another portion of the gas lever is cooperated with the vent valve mechanism.

The control assembly comprises a pushing block which extends longitudinally, a pushing bar which extends transversely, and a lock button.

The pushing block comprises a vertical cavity formed therein with a side open for the slidable block sliding vertically therein, and a first resilient element is positioned between the lower portion of the vertical cavity against the safety device and the inner bottom of the pushing block. The pushing bar is fixed slidably to the inner wall longitudinally through a fixing block, and the lock button is positioned on the casing and projects from the casing outwardly, and a second resilient element is around the pushing bar between the fixing block and the lock button. The safety device further comprises a stud positioned at the bottom of the slidable block, for positioning and guiding the first resilient element. The first and second resilient elements are compression springs.

The groove with corner is preferably L-shaped. The lower portion of the casing can be transparent.

In its normal state (i.e. safety state), the control assembly disables or locks the movement of the safety device. In this state, when the user presses the operation member, it cannot be pressed downward also due to the fixed pin, so that the vent valve mechanism and piezoelectric action are controlled efficiently to improve the safety of the lighter. Therefore, for a person who does not know how to use the lighter appropriately, such as a child or a disabled person, the fuel gas cannot be lighted. Accordingly, careless lighting can be prevented. When the lighter is to be used, the control assembly is operated to unlock the safety device, then, the operation member is depressed to move the safety device downward. When the moving distance of the operation member arrives the igniting distance, the vent valve mechanism is open to jet the fuel gas while the piezoelectric unit produces a discharge spark to light the jet gas at the jetting nozzle at the top end of the rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the invention is obtained when the following detailed description is studied in conjunction with the following drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic side view of a barbecue lighter with the safety device in an ordinary state (lock state) according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic side view of the barbecue lighter as shown in FIG. 1 with the safety device in unlocking or releasing state according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the safety device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the safety device assembled with parts of the control assembly according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Generally, the nomenclature used herein and the manufacture procedures described below are well known and commonly employed in the art. Conventional methods are used for these procedures, such as those provided in the art and various general references. Terms of orientation such as “right,” “left,” “lower,” “top,” “down” or downward and the like are relative terms, not limited to any specific orientation as used herein. Where a term is provided in the singular, the inventors also contemplate the plural of that term.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the barbecue lighter according to the present invention comprises: a casing 1 having a fuel cavity 18 and an operation cavity 16; a fuel container 2 positioned in the fuel cavity of the casing; an elongated rod tube 3 extended from the casing; a piezoelectric unit 4 comprising depressing shaft 15 disposed in the operation cavity of the casing for generating a discharge voltage; an operation member 5 disposed in the operation cavity of the casing; a gas vent member including a gas vent valve mechanism 6, a vent needle (not shown) and a flame regulator 14 for regulating flame; gas line 7; a gas lever 8 disposed in the operation cavity, which cooperates with the vent valve mechanism to open or close the gas venting path; a pin 9 fixed to the inner wall of the casing; a safety member or device 10 including a groove with corner or a L-shaped groove positioned between the bottom end of the operation member and the gas lever; and a control assembly 11 positioned in the operation cavity of the casing 1.

A groove with corner 10-3, such as a L-shaped groove in one embodiment, is formed on the safety device 10 and the fixed pin 9 is positioned in the groove so to allow the fixed pin 9 to “move” inside along the groove from the transverse portion to the longitudinal portion of the groove, or vice versa. Actually, since fixed on the casing and positioned in said groove, the fixed pin will not move, but the safety member will move to change its locking or unlocking status as the L-shape groove moves relatively to the fixed pin in a L-shaped route. In other words, the fixed pin is enclosed or surrounded by the safety member or device 10, able for a relative movement in the groove relative to the safety member, so that the safety member or the location of the fixed pin can be switched or adjusted between two statuses, i.e., where the pin is in the transverse portion or in the longitudinal portion of the L-shaped groove, corresponding to a locking status and an unlocking status of the safety member or the lighter, respectively.

The safety device has a projection portion at the bottom, and the projection portion may further include a thinner projecting tip 10-2. The top end of the main body 10-1 of the safety device is positioned against the bottom portion of the operation member 5, and the projection portion including the projecting tip 10-2 of the safety device is cooperated with the left portion of the gas lever 8 for moving down the gas lever. On the left portion of the gas lever, a transverse groove (not shown) is provided for holding the projecting tip 10-2 and allowing the tip sliding therein, and the right portion of the gas lever is cooperated with the vent valve mechanism 6. A slidable block 10-4 is formed at right side of the safety device 10. The control assembly 11 is positioned at the right side of the safety device 10 for switching the status of the safety device or for controlling the movement of the safety device 10, wherein the control assembly is fixed on the inner wall of the casing.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the control assembly 11, from the left to the right of the schematic view, includes a pushing block 11-1 which extends longitudinally; a pushing bar 11-2 which extends transversely; and a control or lock button 11-3. There is a vertical cavity 11-4 which extends vertically and is formed on the pushing block 11-1. The slidable block 10-4, as a portion of the safety device at its right side, is fitted in the vertical cavity 11-4 and can slide therein vertically, and a first resilient element 11-5, such as a compression spring, is provided in the lower part of the vertical cavity between the slidable block 10-4 and the inner bottom of the pushing block 11-1 for automatically restoring the original position of the safety device after lighting operation. A stud 10-5 positioned at the bottom of the slidable block 10-4 may be provided to cooperate or engage with the resilient element 11-5 so to position and guide the resilient element. The pushing bar 11-2 is slidably fixed in place to the inner wall of the casing through a fixing block or frame 12. In other words, the pushing bar can move only in horizontal or transverse direction. The lock button 11-3 is positioned in the casing and protruding outwardly from the casing. Optionally, the pushing button may also be positioned in the ways that is known in the art, such as, it may be at the same level with the outer surface of the casing. A second resilient element 11-6, such as a compression spring, is provided around the pushing bar 11-2, and is positioned between the fixing block 12 and the lock button 11-3 for automatically restoring the original position of the pushing bar after its operation.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the process of releasing or unlocking the safety device includes the following steps: pushing the lock button 11-3 so that the second resilient element 11-6 is compressed inward; the pushing bar 11-2 moves inward so that the pushing block 11-1 drive the safety device moving inward accordingly, while the projecting tip 10-2 of the safety device slides in transverse direction in the transverse groove (not shown) on the left part of the gas lever 8 inward. With the movement of the safety device towards the left direction under controlling of the control assembly, the fixed pin 9 surrounded by the safety device “moves” relatively off the corner of the groove 10-3 of the safety device or off the transverse groove portion of the L-shaped groove into the longitudinal portion of the L-shaped groove of the safety device, so to make the safety device 10 released from its locking status. In this condition or status, when the operation member 5 is depressed, the safety device can move downward with the first resilient element 11-6 being compressed, the slidable block 10-4 of the safety device slides in the vertical cavity 11-4 (refer to FIG. 4) of the vertical pushing block 11-1. When the operation member 5 arrives to its proper movement distance, the depressing shaft 15 of the piezoelectric unit reaches its discharge distance to generate a discharge voltage to two electrodes (not shown) at the top portion of the elongated rod 3 through two conducting wires 17. The electrodes generate an electric spark to light the fuel gas jetted out at the gas nozzle (not shown) while the gas lever 8 opens the vent valve mechanism 6 for jetting out the fuel gas through the gas vent needle.

When the lighting operation is finished, the operation member 5 returns to its original position automatically by the bounce back force provided by the first resilient element 11-5, the fixed pin 9 “moves” downward into the corner of the groove 10-3 or into the transverse groove portion of the L-shaped groove, then the control assembly 11 can move outward automatically by the bounce back force of the second resilient element 11-6 to its locking status as the fixed pin 9 “moves” to its original position, then, the safety device is in locking status again.

Also optionally, the casing may be made of transparent materials, such as at the lower part to form a visual window to the level of the fuel gas in the fuel container.

The above described exemplary embodiments are not intend to limit the scope of the present invention, as one skilled in the art can, in view of the present disclosure, expand such embodiments to correspond with the subject matter and spirits of the invention claimed below. 

1. A barbecue lighter with a safety function, comprises: a casing holding at least a fuel container, a piezoelectric unit, a gas lever for opening or closing a vent valve mechanism and an operation member for actuating the piezoelectric unit and the gas lever; a safety member positioned between the operation member and the gas lever, and defining a L-shaped groove; a pin coupled to the casing and its position being changeable between a lock position and a release position; a control assembly coupled to the safety member for switching the position of the safety member; wherein the safety member actuates the gas lever to release gas when the pin is in the release position and the operation member is actuated.
 2. The barbecue lighter of claim 1, wherein the safety member further comprises a projecting portion.
 3. The barbecue lighter of claim 2, wherein the gas lever includes a groove on an end portion for slidably holding a tip of the projecting portion of the safety member and another end portion coupled to the vent valve mechanism.
 4. The barbecue lighter of claim 1, wherein the control assembly comprises a pushing block, a pushing bar and a lock button.
 5. The barbecue lighter of claim 4, wherein the safety member further comprises a slidable block, and wherein the pushing block defines a vertical cavity with one side open for the slidable block to be slidably disposed therein, and wherein a first resilient element is disposed in the vertical cavity pressed against a portion of the slidable block of the safety member and the inner bottom of the pushing block.
 6. The barbecue lighter of claim 4, wherein a second resilient element is disposed around the pushing bar and against the lock button.
 7. The barbecue lighter of claim 5, wherein the safety member further comprises a stud on the slidable block for positioning and guiding the first resilient element.
 8. The barbecue lighter of claim 1, wherein the vent valve mechanism comprises a flame regulator for regulating flame.
 9. The barbecue lighter of claim 1, wherein the safety member is in the lock position when the pin is in a transverse portion of the L-shaped groove.
 10. A barbecue lighter with safety function comprising: a casing having a fuel cavity and an operation cavity; a fuel container enclosed in the fuel cavity of the casing; an operation member disposed in the operation cavity of the casing; a piezoelectric unit disposed in the operation cavity of the casing for generating a discharge voltage; a vent valve mechanism disposed in the operation cavity of the casing; a gas lever disposed in the operation cavity of the casing, which cooperates with the vent valve mechanism to open or close a gas path; a pin fixed to an inner wall in the operation cavity; a safety device including a groove with corner positioned between a bottom of the operation member and the gas lever, the fixed pin enclosed in the groove with corner to slide relatively therein along the groove; and a control assembly in the operation cavity for controlling movement of the safety device between a lock status and an unlocked status.
 11. The barbecue lighter of claim 10, wherein the safety device further comprises a body including a projecting portion with a projecting tip; and a slidable block on one side of the body, and wherein a top end of the safety device is positioned against a bottom portion of the operation member.
 12. The barbecue lither of claim 11, wherein a transverse groove is formed on one portion of the gas lever, for slidably holding the projecting tip, and wherein a width of the projecting tip is narrower than a length of the transverse groove, and wherein another portion of the gas lever engages with the vent valve mechanism.
 13. The barbecue lighter according to claim 10, wherein the control assembly comprises a pushing block which extends longitudinally, a pushing bar which extends transversely, and a lock button.
 14. The barbecue lighter of claim 13, wherein the pushing block defines a vertical cavity formed therein with a side open for the slidable block to slide vertically therein, and a first resilient element is positioned between a lower portion of the vertical cavity and against the safety device and an inner bottom of the pushing block.
 15. The barbecue lighter of claim 14, wherein the pushing bar is fixed to the inner wall longitudinally through a fixing block, and wherein a lock button is positioned on the casing and projects from the casing outwardly, and wherein a second resilient element is disposed around the pushing bar between the fixing block and the lock button.
 16. The barbecue lighter of claim 15, wherein the safety device further comprises a stud positioned at a bottom of the slidable block, for positioning and guiding the first resilient element.
 17. The barbecue lighter of claim 16, wherein the first resilient element and second resilient element are compression springs.
 18. The barbecue lighter of claim 10, wherein the groove with corner is L-shaped.
 19. The barbecue lighter of claim 10, wherein the lower portion of the casing is transparent. 